TUCSON, Ariz. - You can see signs of the coronavirus crisis in the signs you see as you drive down the road. Sign making businesses had to rush to help restaurants tell customers they’re not completely closed.
Coronavirus and all the precautions have turned your world upside down and the business world upside down too. Now if you’re a business and you’re still trying to operate, but the way you operate has changed, you need to let your customers know; and for that, you probably need a sign.
With the virus spreading fast, orders that forced hundreds of restaurants to go drive-through, take out or delivery only happened fast too.
Some places proudly improvised their messages to their customers. But a lot of businesses managed to message their patrons with slick, professionally printed banners---and do it quickly.
Byron Patton at FastSigns on Speedway remembers when restaurants learned they’d have to shut down all their sit-down service.
“We started getting phone calls and emails requesting quotes for signage and banners, addressing the needs of restaurants to let their customers know that they are open for carry out or delivery and/or delivery. Craig Smith: How fast did it go? Byron Patton: : “It was a pretty immediate response.”
The virus response led to other signs. The Community Food Bank wanted signs warning people to keep their distance and keep the virus down.
Patton says the urgent need for signs related to coronavirus has not really replaced the income that stopped when businesses put their plans on hold but there are customers looking towards signs that point to better times ahead.
“We've got projects in the pipeline, so to speak, that are for businesses that you know exterior signs, when they open their doors. And so those things are moving forward, there are you know people who see that as challenging as this is we are going to get through this.”
And he’s looking forward to the day restaurants order signs that say come in and sit down for dinner.
